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A blinding light shone into Anya's eyes, her entire world consumed by a bright, white flash
Frantically she tried to escape it, to shut her eyes and block off the intrusion, but Anya's body refused each and every command.
She was trapped, her body stiff and unmoving
Anya's every attempt at freeing herself failed, slowly accepting that she was little more than a prisoner in her own body, the only other thing that could be perceived being a vague humming noise
And yet, despite her inaction, the light dimmed
Anya's senses gradually returned, discerning more of her environment. The first thing she could see was the source of the light which had blinded her just moments before
Several bulbs affixed to a single, large dish. The dish itself connected to a lone metallic arm, rising to meld upon its base on the ceiling
The entire apparatus a dull white in color, but as Anya's focus shifted away, she soon discovered that the rest of her surroundings were no different
Everything, from the walls to the ceilings to the floor, were the same shade of starch white. Such uniformity of color was disorienting on its own, only made worse as the humming became louder, the dissonance driving Anya nauseous
She quickly discovered the culprit; a series of cylindrical, fluorescent tubes embedded into the ceiling, casting an ominous, sterile light
Sterile
That's what this room was
Sterile and oppressive, no signs of life except for her.
The atmosphere was suffocating, made worse once Anya attempted to raise her hand, only to find herself constrained by thick, leather bindings
She was strapped to a chair, her limbs kept in place by restraints, the rough material biting into her exposed skin. A far larger restraint was strapped uncomfortably tight around Anya’s midsection, further restricting her movement
As if to mock Anya’s helpless state, a new sound emerged, one of a loud mechanical clang, as though a great leviathan of a machine had just been brought to life
The raucous whirring and grinding of some unknowable mechanisms soon followed, encompassing the entire room in an overwhelming cacophony. A whimper escaped from Anya, she couldn't help it, nor could she help the frightful tremors that slowly overtook her limbs
Everything was terribly wrong, not just the nightmarish setting Anya found herself in, but with something new that had entered. A sensation pulsed at the back of Anya's mind, its nature incomprehensible except for its motivations, holding nothing but sheer malice towards Anya.
A klaxon began to ring out at an ear-splitting volume, Anya instinctually flinched, closing her eyes as the siren wailed and screeched. Waiting what felt like an eternity, the klaxon finally silenced. Anya opened her eyes to be greeted with a new sight, a pane of glass fixed into the room’s front wall, elevated high so as to allow anyone on the other side to look down upon Anya
And look down they did
Three figures stood, basked in darkness, their features indescribable and resembled akin to shadowed silhouettes, pitch black save for the circular, glowing white holes they had in lieu of eyes. The radiant shine did nothing to expose more of their appearance, much less illuminate the space in which these figures occupied.
None moved nor made any attempt to interact with Anya, but she knew that the entirety of their attention was upon her.
The shock at having her suspicions proved correct soon weared off, replaced by an inescapable sense of dread.
They hated her
They hated Anya on a most personal, fundamental level. Harboring nothing but the most sinister of intentions towards the esper. Such truths came almost innately to Anya, resonating at the very fibers of her being. There was no other explanation for the terror these beings inspired, their presence completely inhuman and without reason
Still they looked down upon Anya, even as she started to cry, her tears streaking down in a fervent stream
Uncaring, they watched Anya break down and fall further into hysterics. Writhing in the chair, pulling and fighting against the restraints, desperate to escape from their sight which bored deep into the captive girl’s soul
All of her attempts were for naught, but still she fought like a crazed animal, only stopping when a sharp creak knocked Anya out of her rabid craze
She turned her head, an imposing metal door came into view, a valve attached to its center slowly turning
Was that always there?
It turned and turned, the valves creaking piercing its way past the symphony of discordant noise that had so thoroughly overpowered Anya, striking a special sense of discomfort in her. With widening eyes and fickle wails she waited for this maddening sequence to finish, each octave sent Anya’s heart pounding and racing, a fresh wave of horror washing over her
Finally the valve stopped moving, concluding its auditory assault as the door sprung open. There was only darkness past the door, an abyssal void that devoured whatever light came into contact.
A being stepped forth from the dark, clad in white coveralls and face covered by a bulky respirator mask, the visors thick and opaque. It's appearance may have been more discernible, but whatever difference this newfound horror had with the observing trio above ended there
Anya could feel itching at her mind the sheer evil masked behind the protective uniform. No memories or thoughts could she discern, only an overriding desire to inflict harm, a cruelty both mindlessly savage and clinically precise
The interloper began to approach, a hideous chemical stink following its every step, the acrid scent rankled Anya's nostrils and sent her throat burning. She recoiled, a terrified, animalistic scream bubbled and frothed, only to suddenly wither and die before the briefest of sounds could be emitted. A new bout of paralysis struck Anya, her body rigid and stiff as stone. Even the manic, fear induced tremors had gone silent, but the agony remained etched upon the espers face.
Her face was contorted, locked in a display of utter panic, blotched red and swollen as tears continued to pour. Once more Anya’s own body turned against her, the mere presence of this monster enough to drive her numb
With a gloved hand it grabbed onto Anya’s face, turning her head side to side, examining for flaws like a workman would a battered tool. Seemingly satisfied, it then procured something from a nearby tray, holding the item in full view of Anya
A syringe, filled with a clear fluid, the needle long and razor-sharp, resembling more a weapon of war then it did a medical instrument
Frozen in place, the syringe continued to be held up, taunting Anya and reminding her just how powerless she truly was
Her tormentor, appearing to be sated on the misery inflicted, turned to administer the shot. Edging closer and closer, slowly moving towards Anya’s forearm
A burst of energy flowed through her system, the constant madness she had been subjected failed to completely break Anya's spirit . Fueling a last, desperate act of defiance, she reeled her head far back as possible, slamming it against her captor with a resounding crack
The noise reverberated, a new vision of white clouded her eyes, blinding Anya to the world once more as she felt a pair of hands grab onto her body
Finally letting loose a scream, the esper flailed about, her fists colliding against a warm mass, crying and wailing with every blow
"Anya!"
A voice could be heard, panic evident in the tone but still she refused to relent, jerking and thrashing until finally her energy was spent
Anya swallowed down whatever gasps of air she could, the shallow breaths intercut by hiccups and whimpered mewls. The arms that held her so tightly had yet to let go, accepting defeat she fearfully opened her eyes
Before Anya was not a scene plucked from a nightmare, nor an inhuman monster bent on torturing the girl. Instead she was gathered in a protective embrace, a warm, mellow light shining onto the one who held her
"Damian?"
His cheek was bruised, his hair and clothes ruffled and disheveled, a clear look of concern written onto the second son's features.
“Anya?” he murmured, she was collected in his arms, and from there did Anya slowly ground herself back into reality
She was in their bedroom, laying atop the mattress shared with Damian, the soft blankets and sheets disorganized thanks to her slumbered fits of terror
Gone was the faded blue gown of her dreams, instead Anya wore one of Damian's shirts, the long white fabric pooling down to her knees and covering the pair of shorts she had on beneath
Anya's dazed state gradually wore off, through it all Damian continued to comfort her, pressing her body against his own and running his fingers past her luscious pink hair
"Anya? Anya are you okay? You really had me scared" Damian kept his voice low, whispering ever gently in Anya's ear
She looked up at him, her face pale and eyes flowing with tears.
“I'm sorry for hitting you”
“It’s alright , I swear it doesn’t even hurt” He placed her hand against his bruised cheek, letting Anya rub the colored skin “See? I don’t feel a thing, but can you tell me what happened?”
"I-i….i had a nightmare" Her voice cracked, barely able to acknowledge what had occurred without a deluge of pain pouring forth from the still fresh memories
"Was it about the laboratory again?"
She nodded in return
Damian sighed, using his thumb to wipe away Anya's tears. Her quivering limbs wrapped around his body, fingers flexing as they clutched at the back of his shirt.
Gently, Damian moved her legs so they would straddle him, ensuring Anya was seated comfortably whilst he kept the esper in a deep hug.
"It's going to be okay Anya" he pressed his hand against the back of her head, letting it rest atop his shoulder "Hey, don't you remember what I promised you last time?"
"You said….you said you'd never let anyone hurt me"
"Exactly, I promise you Anya nobody is ever going take you away from me" Donning a smile he took her chin in his hand, lifting it ever gently so she could look him in the eyes "And a Desmond always keep their promises"
Despite his calm and stoic front, inside Damian was fuming, his furious thoughts blazed like an immense flame, the tumultuous emotions hitting Anya with the full weight of its intensity, doing little to reassure
Burying her head back into the crook of his shoulder, Anya laid motionless against Damian, she only felt safe in his arms but the comfort he brought did nothing to stop the relentless anxiety that assailed her mind, burrowing and slinking into every part of her conscious
It did not take long for Damian to notice, nor did it take long for him to respond. Keeping Anya firmly in his hold, the second son arose from the bed, carrying his lover to the center of their vast bedroom.
There sat a couch, a large tv placed directly in front. Damian walked in a cautious stride, going over to deposit Anya atop the cozy cushions, only to stop once the noise of a barely concealed whimper vibrate against his chest
“Shh it's alright, I'm only going over to the tv okay? Your not going to be left alone” Taking a few moments to accept, or perhaps wishing to savor being in Damian’s embrace for a while longer, Anya slowly relinquished her grasp on his body and let him place her on the couch
Wrapping her snuggly into a felt throw, Damian went to fiddle with the tv, switching from channel to channel.
Anya watched in silence, a pressing question dormant behind her lips, one that she could no longer leave unsaid
“What if they come back for me?”
“They won’t” He responded fast, his tone stern and flat
“But what if they do? For all we know they could still be looking for me!”
“Then I’ll do anything to keep you safe, no matter what” Damian was confident, a confidence so absolute that it felt impossible he could be wrong
Remote in hand, Damian sat next to Anya, bundling her back into his arms “Don’t forget i'm rich too, I’d spend every last pent I’d have to protect you”
“How could I forget? It's the only thing you ever talk about” Finally a smile returned to Anya, her voice reverting back to it’s lovely, saccharine self
Damian scoffed, feigning a look of annoyance “Pfft, so that’s how you repay me for taking such good care of you?”
“Nope, this is how I’ll repay you” Swiping upwards, Anya left a kiss on Damian’s lips, looking back at the now blushing scion with a cheeky expression
“Well…at least your back to your old self, now look at this” Pressing the remote, an image played on the television screen, one that instantly warmed Anya’s heart
“Your lucky you woke up when you did, they’re still playing those old Spy War’s reruns”
As if on cue, Bondman jumped onto screen, the exciting antics that soon followed entrancing Anya away from the odious nightmare, but not before she turned to take another look at Damian “Thank you syon-boy, you really are the best”
“Heh I know, now just take it easy for me, you’ve had a rough night” Increasing the volume, Damian let Anya watch in peace, his hand’s caressing and stroking her covered body
Nodding along, Anya immediately went back to her show. She knew how uncertain still her future was, having long accepted how natural risks and dangers would be to her life, but as long as people like Damin were with her, then Anya would have no fear braving these unknowns.